Worth It
by Asian Kiwi
Summary: One night when Mikoto is still being held by Scepter4, Totsuka visits him. "Any chance of stopping you?" "No." "I thought so, but I'll try anyway." Mikoto/Totsuka. Close friendship or slight lovers, you choose.


**A/N **wow look debut fic omg okay i assure you i don't type like this in my actual writing but yeah. first fanfic ever, actually, that i've gotten around to finishing and this is just a short drabble that doesn't really have a point but hey whatever. i tried to get their personalities down pat but it was kind of hard so i apologize in advance if they don't seem right. i guess that's it really. enjoy?

**disclaimer** don't own and never will own K project/Project K/[K] or these characters

* * *

Mikoto had woken up in the middle of the night to a voice he had thought he would never hear again.

"I know what you're up to, King." There's a dip in the bed as someone sits down.

Mikoto tilts his head slightly to confirm it is indeed who he thinks it is.

"Don't you always." It wasn't a question.

Totsuka chuckles at the words and shakes his head. "Only when it comes to you."

They sit in comfortable silence for a while. Mikoto spends the time eyeing his (dead) friend up and down. He wonders if he should ask if this was a dream, but he decides against it. Whether dream or strange reality, he will quietly cherish this time he has with Totsuka.

It's Totsuka who starts the conversation again, as always.

"Any chance of stopping you?"

"No."

"I thought so." Totsuka looks down at his hands, wishing he had his camera in them. He had always been more comfortable hiding behind it, documenting everything around him. After having so many hobbies, it felt weird to have his hands stilled. He turns back to Mikoto.

"I'm going to try anyway."

Only a low grunt in reply. Totsuka takes that as an invitation to carry on.

"I'm grateful you're willing to do so much just because of me, but you can't reverse my death. I'll still be dead. But the others… They're well and alive. Have you thought about how you'll be leaving them behind?"

Mikoto stays silent.

Totsuka continues. "Kusanagi has been your friend for so many years… Yata-chan looks up to you so much. And Anna! Are you really going to just leave her and the rest of Homra?"

"You did."

It's Totsuka's turn to be silenced, drawing back as if he's been slapped. He sighs. "…But I didn't have a choice."

"I don't either."

"What?"

Still somewhat convinced this visit from his friend is a dream, the Red King speaks freely. "Reisi reminded me that I'm not in the best shape. If I continue on like this, I'll have a Damocles Down anyway."

"But you can fix that!"

"If I wait this out, your murderer will have time to get away."

There's a long pause before there's a response from the other. When it does come out, it's in a small whisper.

"…I'm okay with that."

"Well, I'm not!" Mikoto growls out suddenly.

A longer pause follows. Totsuka smiles and looks away sadly. His King was as stubborn as ever.

"I guess there really is no stopping you."

The Red King reverts back to himself and only grunts.

"We still have some time to kill… What do you want to do?"

"Talk."

"About what?"

"I don't know."

"I can't really talk without a topic."

"Just be Totsuka."

"Huh?"

"I just want to talk to you like old times."

"Old times, huh… Like in school?" This brings out another chuckle from Totsuka. "King was pretty stupid then!"

They spend the rest of the night reminiscing about old shenanigans they would get up to back when they were just friends - normal friends without having to worry about issues concerning Kings or powers. Mikoto continued lying there with Totsuka's smiling face above him, blocking his view of anything else. His laugh would ring out, filling Mikoto's ears with that exact sound he'd dearly missed. Of course he often heard it whenever he would secretly watch the countless tapes on Totsuka's camera, but it was different up close. In person, you could actually see the blonde's eyes light up and crinkle as his grin spread wider and the natural glow his skin would give off. Before he knew it, Mikoto had raised a hand up, pushing a strand of Totsuka's hair behind his ear, revealing the piercing that matched his own. The softness of the hair and the brush of his fingertips against his friend's face; it all felt unbelievably real. Maybe this wasn't a dream. But in the end, Mikoto couldn't care less about what it was, as long as he had Totsuka smiling down on him again.

* * *

When he wakes up, he lays in silence for a long time. He places his hand on his own cheek, where Totsuka had touched him. He rubs his fingers together, where he'd lightly stroked his hair. He spends all his time recollecting that night. When Reisi comes back in to check on him, Mikoto barely acknowledges him and the Blue King leaves shortly after. Totsuka had visited him in hopes of stopping his mission, but if anything, he'd only reassured Mikoto on what he needed to do. And what he needed to do was to burn the asshole that shot the man who made Mikoto happiest.

* * *

Again he's lying down. The voices of his previous clansmen echoes in his ear, shouting the mantra of "No Blood! No Bone! No Ash!" His body feels light, weightless. It's as if he's floating in air. His hands grope around and indeed, there's nothing solid beneath him.

Ah, he understands now. The memory of the sharp sword, the blood seeping through his shirt, the warm body of Munakata Reisi – his killer and also who he had clung to in his last moments. Suddenly this nothingness makes sense and when Mikoto opens his eyes, he sees he's surrounded by stars.

More importantly, the smiling face of Totsuka greets him once again. The feeling of comfortable familiarity comes with the situation. Mikoto lying down, Totsuka sitting above him – some things never change.

"You managed to do it." Not that Totsuka ever doubted his King. Mikoto doesn't say a word, folding his arms behind his head to get comfortable. He'll be here for a while, waiting for others to join them. He expects Kusanagi first.

Totsuka isn't affected by Mikoto's silence; he never has been. A crease appears between his eyebrows, frowning slightly down at the redhead as he asks "Was it really worth it?"

Mikoto locks eyes with the blonde and realizes that, this time, he's expecting a response. He sighs before reaching up and smoothing out Totsuka's face with his hand for a frown has never suited him.

Then Mikoto answers, "Yes."


End file.
